Sold! 1 Island, 5 Stores, 5 Apartments Ny State Plans
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Periodicals Paid at Bronx, N.Y. USPS 114-590 Volume 40 Number 9 November 2011 One Dollar SOLD! 1 ISLAND, 5 STORES, 5 APARTMENTS By KAREN NANI the courts are on the side of the tenants,” he had been sold to a City Islander, so we would Photos by RICK DeWITT told The Current. “It is a valuable piece of not have to worry about how it is going to be A sidewalk auction was held on Oct. 2, 2011 between Hawkins and Schofield Streets. property in a prime location and I was tired developed,” Mary Colby, the owner of Fe Fi Sold were properties owned by former Islander Edmund (Red) Brennen (top middle), of being a landlord.” Faux, told The Current. “It is in the main part including Rat Island (bottom right) and the buildings between 270 and 278 City Island According to members of his family, his of town and my hopes are that it will receive Avenue. Rat Island was sold for $160,000 to Cross Street resident Alex Schibli (shown daughters had expressed interest in acquiring the TLC that it needs and that the new owner with his wife, Noelva, top right). the property and were disheartened when he will be involved in keeping the Island land- decided to put it up for public sale. Another scape quaint and beautiful.” 1940s. He told The Current that the actual It was an unusual sight even for City Islander did enter the bidding; Marcy Dusen- Mr. Brennen said that for years he had size of the island at high tide is more like Island. A sidewalk auction was held on Sun- bery posted the first bid of $250,000, but been approached by Islanders who said they one-third of an acre, but that the foundation day, Oct. 2, on the east side of the avenue she dropped out when the price rose above were interested in the property, but no one for one of the houses is within that area. between Hawkins and Schofield Streets. Up $350,000. The final price was $567,000, came up with the actual cash. “It was hard The current market value established by the for sale were properties owned by former which was made by bidder number 60, who being an absentee landlord and dealing with city’s Finance Department is $426,000, with Islander Edmund (Red) Brennen, includ- would not give The Current his name and all the fines and fees [levied] by the City of an assessed value of $8,547 (down from ing the much-publicized Rat Island and the said only that he was representing an off- New York. When these sales go through, the $14,670 in 1997). Friends have suggested block of buildings between 270 and 278 City Islander. only thing I will own in New York State is my that Mr. Schibli invite representatives of the Island Avenue. Mr. Brennen acknowledged the purchase EZ Pass.” Finance Department to join him on a boat Mr. Brennen, the former owner of East- by an off-Islander whom he has never met, Originally from New Rochelle, he made ride to the island in an effort to reduce his tax chester Towing and a longtime resident of but said that “City Island doesn’t have to his home on City Island in an apartment on burden, as there is little real-estate value to City Island, had been trying to sell Rat Island worry. My understanding is that he plans to the corner of Fordham Street above the 5 the property except to local birds and shell- since 2009 at an original asking price of fix up the property.” However, he cautioned & 10 cent store during the late 1950s. He fish. $300,000. The small rock formation, famil- that the sale is not final until the actual clos- worked in the marine industry and later He has been approached by a group of iar to anyone who sails or kayaks between ing, which is scheduled for 30 days after the started his own business of marine salvage Islanders who were interested in buying the the north end of City Island and Hart Island, auction. and dock building. Red met his wife, Ulla, on island but could not afford the high price, and is mostly submerged at high tide. It is not Some of the current business owners are he may collaborate with them to construct a known exactly why it is called Rat Island. hopeful. “I would have liked it if the property Continued on page 3 Legend has it that prisoners (rats) escaping small boat landing that would be accessible from Hart Island would stop there to rest, to contributing members. He has no larger but the name “Rat Island” exists on a map plans, however, since he wants to be sure dated 1851, which predates the existence of that the seagulls who nest there remain undis- NY State PLANS “Dayhab” a prison on Hart Island. turbed. Red Brennen hired a professional auc- Many newspapers reported that Mr. tioneer, Ozzie Crisalli, of Syracuse Realty Schibli was thinking about changing the CENTER ON CI Group to handle the auction. He told The name to Malina Island for his granddaughter, By BARBARA DOLENSEK Current that he had used Mr. Crisalli when but he realizes that this doesn’t make much The empty stores at 532 City Island approached the community in advance of he auctioned off his marine business in 2004, sense. He isn’t even sure if one can officially Avenue, which once housed a branch of making a commitment to the site, espe- including his tugboat and all the floating rename the island without going to a lot of West Marine, have been leased by the New cially as it is hoped that the individuals will legal trouble but if it’s possible, he might pro- equipment. York State Office for People with Devel- become active, perhaps by volunteering or The auctioneer told the crowd of about pose a contest for a more appropriate name, opmental Disabilities (OPWDD), which shopping here. Ms. Gentile explained that such as Clam Digger Island. Stay tuned. 100 people that Rat Island was three quarters it was not required by law for OPWDD to Although the Rat Island sale received a plans to open a center where individuals of an acre at high tide and one acre at low obtain community approval, because this tide. After mistakenly saying it was on the great deal of publicity (“The Cost to Own a with such disabilities can learn skills and is not a 24/7 facility, like the two group ocean, he set the beginning bid at $500,000 New York Island” was one of the headlines), have an opportunity to interact with the homes already on City Island. She did and then lowered it to $350,000. Under the Islanders will probably be more directly local community. watchful eyes of Mr. Brennen, the bidding affected by the second offering of the day, Jill Gentile, associate commissioner apologize for not having taken this step, began seriously at $10,000 and ended with the five stores and five apartments between of OPWDD, explained at a recent meeting however, and hoped that City Island would a $160,000 bid by Cross Street resident Alex 270 and 278 City Island Avenue. The prop- held at Community Board 10 that the large welcome the center, which is scheduled to Schibli. In the end, the bidding was between erty accounts for 100 feet of frontage on the Southern Boulevard Day Program was open before the end of the year. Mr. Schibli and the off-Island developer Dr. avenue and includes longtime businesses being divided into three smaller facilities, Mr. Kearns made it clear that City Domenico Mignone, who has recently raised Fe Fi Faux decorative painting services and one of them on City Island, which she felt Island residents would most likely be sup- Islanders’ concerns by proposing a senior Remy’s marine canvas maker. was an attractive small community suitable portive, as they were of the two group residence for the corner of Schofield Street The auctioneer described the offering as for individuals in the program. The center homes, but he suggested that a different and City Island Avenue. a two-story building with a basement and a would function from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and site might have been more appropriate and Mr. Schibli, who attended with his wife, green space in the back, which he claimed the ratio of staff to individuals would be 1 hoped that Islanders would be considered could be developed. He told the crowd that Noelva, and was described by Mr. Brennen to 3. Transportation to the site would be by for both staff positions and as individuals as a “nice fella,” is known to enjoy kayaking the net income is $78,000 annually from minivans, which would not require park- who would benefit from what the center rentals. At least two of the stores are empty, around Rat Island. He can see it from his has to offer. however, and some of the rentals were the ing spaces in what is already a congested home on Cross Street, and he has no plans to Ms. Gentile expressed willingness to build a house on the island, although there final straw for Mr. Brennan after 40 years neighborhood. address the City Island Civic Association have been houses on the island, the first of owning the buildings. “I had some rot- Ms. Gentile was asked by Kenneth or other groups to allay concerns about the during the 1890s and the other during the ten tenants and had to evict three or four of Kearns, district manager of Community them.